It is vital to look at the big picture in order to make the best overall decisions. But that does not mean there is not a smaller picture, and that is what I will focus on today. I will leave the bigger picture to the politicians and others whose job it is to guide us as a nation in our decision-making.

Juan is almost 15, from Guatemala. He left his country with Jose, his 12-year-old brother, with instructions from his grandparents to "watch over him." Their journey lasted about two weeks.

My job was to do a medical screening evaluation of the unaccompanied children who had illegally entered the United States and were being processed by Customs and Border Patrol, and this is how I met Juan and Jose.

Juan’s chart was on top, so I called out his name. As Juan and I walked to the exam room we looked back at Jose, seeing all color drain from his face. I turned to Juan, and his concern and pain were evident; it was clear that he took the responsibility of watching out for his little brother very seriously. I asked Juan how his brother was doing.

Juan told me Jose had been positive and upbeat, not demonstrating any fears or worries during their two-week journey; not when they crossed the border from Guatemala to Mexico, not during their trip through Mexico to the U.S. border, not when they crossed from Mexico to the United States and not when they were met by the U.S. Border Patrol agents. It was clear Jose’s only fear was being separated from his brother.

I stepped out of the exam room and waived for Jose to come in with us. Although I typically interview each child separately, in this case it was clear that a combined medical screening evaluation was indicated.

Jose’s eyes lit up as he jumped from his chair to join us. We all sat together and I went through the medical screening evaluation, asking about their medical history, medications and allergies, doing a focused psychological evaluation and performing a physical exam. To help get them to feel more comfortable with me, I asked if they played soccer. Both noted they did, and when I asked him, Juan told me he was "pretty good" (Jose clearly looked proud of his older brother). It seemed we all agreed I was past my prime and Juan likely played soccer better than I did (in fact I have never been skilled at soccer, so I am sure this is true).

I briefly met individually with Jose, to allow him to express any concerns and ask me questions. By now, he was more comfortable with me, and he told me he was excited to be reunited with his mother and father who now live in Texas.

Page 2 of 2 - I then met one-on-one with Juan. As we sat together in the exam room, his tough external demeanor faded. He spoke of missing his grandparents in Guatemala, and of how much he was looking forward to soon be seeing his mother and father, whom he had not seen for several years. His big brown eyes softened as they slowly filled with tears, and he asked me if Jose was OK. I told him Jose seemed fine, and that he was doing a great job looking out for his little brother. He was clearly relieved, and streams of tears now flowed freely down his face.

This 15-year-old had carried a huge responsibility on his shoulders, taking care of his little brother during the uncertainties of their 2,000-mile, 17-day journey. He had allowed himself to show only confidence and strength, being an anchor his little brother could hold on to. Yet, at the end of the day, he was still a 15-year-old boy, missing his family in Guatemala as well as in the United States, afraid of the situation he was in and worried about what the future may bring. That is, a 15-year-old with the anxieties, dreams, worries and concerns that all 15-year-olds have, even though his circumstances were certainly different than what most kids his age experience.